


And a baby makes three

by tatarrific



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 12:06:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3895705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatarrific/pseuds/tatarrific
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or, things they don't teach you at Lamaze</p>
            </blockquote>





	And a baby makes three

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jaybear1701](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaybear1701/gifts).



Delphine is neither religious nor overly sentimental and yet the only word that comes to mind as she takes in the sight before her is  _a miracle_.  She pauses in the doorway of the bedroom and stills her breath, not wanting to disturb the plateau: Cosima bent over the changing table, softly cooing to their 3 month-old daughter.  

Delphine leans against the bedroom door, head resting on the jamb and feels a tired smile spread across her face.  Cosima has paused mid-way through changing the diaper, and is using one of her dreads to tickle Sofia across her bare tummy.  Delphine can see baby’s arms and legs wheeling in jerky motions in response as Cosima leans in closer, entranced, her glasses sliding down her nose.  

“Are you a tickle-baby, Sof?  Are you mommy’s tickle-baby?”  Cosima’s nose nuzzles soft baby skin, and she plants kisses against a tiny belly button.  “Who’s our big girl?  Who?”

Delphine presses a hand against her chest, feeling the warm, full thump of her heart beneath.  She knows that she does not posses an imagination that would have, even in her wildest dreams, prepared her for the all-encompassing happiness she feels at the sight of her wife and their child.  

Cosima has moved on to nibbling Sofia’s rounded thighs, teeth gently nipping at baby flesh, seeking to solicit another response from the infant.  Delphine cants her head and smiles at her wife’s antics.  She never had any doubt that Cosima would make a wonderful parent, but getting to experience it, to see Cosima’s protectiveness and tenderness increase manifold, floods her with emotion and makes her reach again for language of religion - she feels, in a word, blessed.

She sees a smile form on Sofia’s face, baby lips spreading wide in a grin, her tiny brow scrunching down.  There is a look of deep concentration on Sofia’s face now, and Delphine stills, recognizing it.   _Oh, non.  Oh, merde…_

“Cherie–” but it is too late, and all she can do is watch in stunned silence as Cosima jumps back from the changing table with a startled yelp, her hair, glasses and face now covered in currents of yellowish, runny baby poop.  Unperturbed, Sofia resumes her cooing, her face once again placid in contentment.

“Oh.  My.  God.”  Her wife stands stock still, and Delphine claps her hand over her mouth, unable to contain her laughter.  “Ohmygod.  Is this..  Is this–”

Delphine can only shake her head mutely, reaching for the wipes.  “I’ll take care of the baby, cherie you.. go take  a shower.”

* * *

 

Delphine grits her teeth, pressing against her temple.   _C’est incroyable…_  “Cherie, can you just–”  Cosima shoots her an exasperated look without breaking her pacing across the length of their bedroom.  Sofia is cradled in her arms, her unconsolable wails fraying what little remains of Delphine’s patience.

“She’ll fall asleep.   _Shhhh-shhhh-shhhh!_ She will - you fed her, I have changed her, it’s 3AM, she’s tired -  _shhhh-shhhh-shhhh!_ \- she’s about to drop off any second now.”  Cosima readjusts the infant in her arms, Sofie’s bright red face tucked in the crook of her elbow.  “Any second now.   _Shhhhhhhhhhh-shhhhhhhhh!”_

Delphine forces a deep, slow breath into her lungs, trying to relax and sink back into the bed, then eyes her phone.  If only she weren’t worried she’d miss and hit the child instead…  “Cosima, you just need to lift her up a bit–”

“I mean, there’s no empirical proof that she needs one position -  _shhhhhh-shhhhh-shhhhh!_  -  more than another in order to fall asleep.”  Delphine pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to follow Cosima’s voice over the increasing volume of their child.  “I mean, she should be able to fall asleep -  _Shhhhhhhhhhhh!_ \- just as well when I hold her like this,” her rocking increases in ferocity along with the wails emanating from the baby, “unless something else is at play -  _shhhh-shhhh-shhhhh!_  - like, she is actually possessed by the minion of Gozer.”

“Posse- what??”  Delphine can feel the last vestiges of her sanity unravel, her brain unable to process the near-gibberish coming out of Cosima’s mouth.

“Are you?  Are you my little minion of Gozer?”  Cosima is now bouncing in place, still holding the baby in the position Delphine knows is not conducive to falling asleep.  “Is that what the problem is? There is no Sofia, there’s only Zuul?”

_“Cosima!”_

“Okay, okay!”  Delphine watches as Cosima adjusts the baby’s position in her arms minutely, the little head pressing into the crook of her neck.  “Shhhhhhhh, little baby Zuul.  That’s right.  Shhhhhh.”

Delphine closes her eyes in relief as the infant’s wailing immediately becomes more muted, tapering off into a low, tired coo.  Cosima sways with Sofia in her arms for a moment longer, then gently places her into the bassinet, and tiredly crawls into bed next to Delphine.

“There’s still no evidence that she prefers being held upright.  It could have just as well been a timely Zuul exorcism that I performed on her.”

“Cosima, cherie?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

**Author's Note:**

> Here's to the hidden joys of parenthood!


End file.
